Playing Tic-Tac-Toe with three fragrances – Cacharel Cacharel pour l’Homme (1981), Caron Pour un Homme de Caron (1934) and Guerlain Habit Rouge Tick-Tack-Toe background ©Pixabay, bottles ©Caron, ©Guerlain and ©Cacharel, collage ©Emmanuelle Varron.
Two weeks ago, the Osmothèque organized in Paris the second part of an exciting olfactory conference presenting 30 mythical perfumes. The first part, which took place on May 31, allowed me to (re)discover iconic treasures in their original version, reworked with their original ingredients by the Osmothèque and composition houses perfumers: Coty L’Origan (1905), Lanvin Arpège (1927), Piguet Bandit (1944), Balenciaga Quadrille (1955) and Guy Laroche Fidji (1966) took me on a journey through history, smelling blotters and reading slides featuring their identify. I was impatient to smell the last fifteen fragrances selected by the Osmothèque team. Again, some real marvels: Guerlain Jicky (1889), Les Parfums de Rosine Le Fruit Défendu (1914), Balmain Vent Vert (1944), Fath Iris Gris (1947) … but my heart started beating quickly when Patricia de Nicolaï (perfumer and former president of the Osmothèque) took the floor to present Cacharel Cacharel pour l’Homme (1981). I went back 35 years to the time when I fell in love with my first boyfriend. He wore this fragrance created by Gérard Goury which, I admit, gave the man a lot of sex appeal and remains forever linked to him in my memories.
Patricia de Nicolai introducing Cacharel Cacharel Pour l’Homme at the latest Osmothèque conference – ©Emmanuelle Varron
In addition to Cacharel Cacharel pour l’Homme, I will share with you two other “masculine” scents that I fell in love with at the same time as those who wore them, and that marked my first quarter of a century: Caron Pour un Homme de Caron and Guerlain Habit Rouge.
1987 Cacharel Pour l’Homme advertisement – ©common use
Cacharel Cacharel Pour l’Homme (Gérard Goury) 1981: My first boyfriend was not my first crush, but it was thanks to him that I had my first “romantic” olfactive experience that linked love to fragrances. I remember very well that I smelled his scent before I saw him. Tall, blonde and very thin, part of a very ancient noble French family, and quite proud of being an aristocrat: he was not my type at all. But he was a pianist (I was then a violinist), and we went to the same high school. He wore Cacharel Cacharel Pour l’Homme which, at the time (1987), was very popular and this fragrance fit him like a glove: an aromatic and spicy freshness that revealed floral and amber notes after several hours. I suspect he doused himself with it several times a day, because I have this memory of a bergamot-lavender-clary sage trio and a warm, spicy and woody multi-faceted overdosed nutmeg every time I came across him in our high school corridors. It was while spending time with him that I discovered that Cacharel Cacharel Pour L’Homme developed into a very sophisticated floral bouquet, accompanied by black pepper to prolong its spicy facet and delicately rounded by amber. Strangely, I’ve never really noticed it on anyone else’ as I would only associate this perfume with my first boyfriend. Now gone from perfumeries, I had not smelled it for many, many years and was quite emotional to rediscover it in its original version during the Osmothèque conference. Notes: bergamot, lavender, clary sage, nutmeg, lily of the valley, geranium, carnation, ylang-ylang, cedarwood, black pepper, vetiver, amber.
1994 Caron Pour un Homme advertisement – ©common use
Caron Pour un Homme de Caron (Ernest Daltroff) 1934: My second boyfriend was 10 years older than me. Let’s say that I met him in my father’s environment. Of course, I was intimidated because he was a professionally settled person (I was finishing high school) and he seemed to enjoy my confusion. He was totally my type brown hair, artist and devil-may-care attitude. So different from my father who was very serious, and at times austere. Inevitably, I fell in love, but in addition to his rather cool personality, his scent was beautiful, but a bit disturbing : a barber’s shop lavender warmed by an ultra-sensual vanilla. What a contrast! At the time, I associated vanilla with exclusively feminine perfumes and smelling it on a man then seemed incredible to me. Looking at the raw materials, I realize that the top notes of Caron Pour un Homme de Caron are similar to those of Cacharel Cacharel Pour l’Homme. It was probably no coincidence. But to me, the evolution of Caron Pour un Homme de Caron is far more modern and bold (tonka, vanilla, heliotrope), with sex appeal thanks to Tonkin musk. It is a fragrance that I have come across many times in my life, and it has inspired many other perfumes based on the lavender-vanilla duo. But here again, it remains forever linked to this lover, and to no one else. Notes: bergamot, lavender, rosemary, lemon, clary sage, rose, tonka bean, vanilla, heliotrope, cedarwood, Tonkin musk.
1994 Guerlain Habit Rouge advertisement – © common use
Guerlain Habit Rouge (Jean-Paul Guerlain) 1965: When I was 22 years old I was a communication assistant in a football (soccer) club. My weekends were full of sport and when I was not working for my team, I loved to watch rugby games. I quickly made friends that were taking me to the post-match parties in Paris taking place in bars around Saint-Germain-des Prés (all located around the famous “rue de la Soif” – the Thirst road). And that’s where I met the man wearing Guerlain Habit Rouge. He was much older than me, a former rugby international, and very handsome. He was also quite drunk that night, and our first encounter didn’t go very well: he assumed I was ready to live all kinds of experiences with him right away and was sharing his crush for me with all his colleagues. I was obviously feeling very uncomfortable but felt very attracted by the fragrance he was wearing: both fresh and amber, and so spicy! I remember telling him “You are very rude, but you smell great!”. Yes, Guerlain Habit Rouge was a perfect match for him, and I was annoyed that this good-looking-smelling man had no manners. But I decided to leave the place and got back home. Two days later, I was (happily) surprised to receive a call from him, thanks to a mutual friend who gave him my number. He was sober, shameful of his behavior, and couldn’t stop but apologize. Of course, I forgave him and even if we didn’t stay long together, he symbolizes Guerlain Habit Rouge forever, as the fragrance was like a second skin on him, quite leathery and floral, with a gorgeous freshness that never failed through the hours. But for the first and only time, I decided to add Guerlain Habit Rouge in my fragrance collection not long after our amicable break-up. I felt it could be beautiful on my skin, unlike Guerlain Shalimar that I found too sweet. And I was right! I felt for the Eau de Toilette version, more citrus and less leathery, as the contrast between fresh and warm notes was as its highest, without sacrificing its beautiful spices and flowers. I even bought in the 2010’s the Extrait version that I love wearing on my skin hot spots, while applying the Eau de Toilette on my clothes. I actually wrote this article wearing Guerlain Habit Rouge Eau de Toilette and it’s such a delight to feel it in the air. I am glad I “stole” it from my former crush. Notes: lemon, orange, lavender, neroli, jasmine, rose, cinnamon, clove, patchouli, vanilla, tonka bean, labdanum, birch, cedarwood, ambergris.
These three fragrances were part of my love life looooong time ago – in the 20th century! – but are still present in my memory. I would like to add a fourth one that I dreamed a boyfriend would wear… but I never had the chance to find the man. I am the kind of person who dislikes asking a boyfriend to change his fragrance, but I confess, Calvin Klein Obsession for Man will stay a personal fantasy for now.
Emmanuelle Varron, Senior Editor and Paris Brand Ambassador
Do you remember the fragrances of any of your first boyfriends or girlfriends? What were they?
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